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Woks have become a common kitchen necessity. However, most people don't know how healthy a dish can be cooked in a wok or how to select the best one.

A wok is a healthier way to cook food. It uses less oil and allows food to land back in the pan instead of the stove during stir-fry. It distributes heat more evenly that makes cooking all the quicker.

Here's some basic information about woks. These are the frying pans used to cook different Chinese cuisines such as steaming, stir-frying, boiling, braising, and making soup. It is different from other pans as they are curved in shape, which changes cooking.

What's A Wok Used for?

A wok is mostly used for stir fry. However, its unique design allows for many other uses. Because it is so deep, it can be filled with water to boil food or oil for deep-frying. A wok can be used to smoke meats and cheeses when it is paired with wood chips or a rack. A lid can be added to the wok for steaming vegetables and seafood.

Different Types of Wok

There are many types of woks on the market. They can be categorized based on the base type, manufacturing techniques, and material types of woks. These are the types:

·         Round Bottom Wok - This wok has a circular bottom and is deep to increase volume.

Flat Bottom Wok - This wok is similar to the round-bottomed but has a flatter surface.

·         Pow Wok - This is a carbon-steel pot with a handle measuring 6-8 inches in length. It was initially made in northern China.

·         Cantonese Wok - This wok features two U-shaped handles at both ends.

·         Mandarin wok - This wok can have either wooden, or metal handles on both sides. These woks are usually smaller.

·         Non-stick Coated Wok - This wok has a Teflon coating on its inner surface.

·         Aluminum wok - This wok is made from anodized aluminum alloys.

·         Hand Hammered wok - This is made by hand hammering one sheet of material.

·         Ceramic wok - This is ceramic, which makes it non-stick.

·         Carbon Steel wok - This wok is made of durable Carbon Steel that distributes heat well. This is a hardened steel wok, which is non-responsive and can be used to make vinegary or acidic nourishments. They are lightweight and won't rust.

·         Cast Iron Wok - This wok is made of iron, making it light and easy to clean.

Each of the above-listed woks has different specifications. You might be asking, "Are woks worth it?" Yes. We will be discussing the benefits of using a wok in the next section.

Let's take a look at some of the benefits of using woks for cooking:

Healthier Food

Healthy food and diet are a must-have for anyone. Woks have the advantage of cooking with less oil, making it healthier and easier to digest. You can prepare dishes in less time, which preserves the crisp texture of vegetables and meats.

Eliminating Utensils

A wok is a versatile cooking tool that can be used in many ways, including deep-frying, steaming, sautéing, and deep-frying. This makes it easier to clean up your kitchen.

Simple Cooking

The longest-cooked meats or vegetables are fried in the hot oil at the bottom of the wok. Once it is almost fully cooked, blend the fricasseed. The meat or vegetables are then pushed up to the sides of the wok, while other ingredients such as seafood and vegetables are added. The delicate food is cooking while the hard one cooks. However, they cook at a slower pace to avoid overcooking. You can cook meat and vegetables more evenly with the wok's unique structure.

Easy Preparation

You will find that your cooking will be much faster than ever. Two factors indicate that you cook faster. Mix fried food is usually quick to prepare. The food is fried in short amounts of oil or sauces and then served as quickly as possible. The wok's design is the second reason. This design is designed to ensure that heat can be distributed more efficiently through the bottom of the frying pan, which means it takes less time to cook.

Better Food Taste

You might have heard people talk about how woks can give you a better taste. Woks can enhance food taste by allowing you to mix the flavors without altering the original flavor. Food preparation can be used to enhance the taste of food by adding other ingredients to it. However, overcooking can cause food to lose its original flavor and sometimes even lead to its destruction. On the other hand, a frying pan makes food preparation fast, and there's less chance of it overcooking.

Low-Cost

You would expect to have to borrow a lot to buy frying pans. However, you'd be surprised at the prices you can find woks online. You should choose top quality woks to get better results. However, there are also great high-quality woks available that are pretty affordable. There are a variety of great woks to suit every budget. Electric ones are more expensive. They are also much more expensive than regular frying pots.

More Food

Woks are great for food lovers. Woks make cooking more accessible because they have high edges. This means that you can put more food into your wok. This allows you to cook more of your favorite dishes and have leftovers to enjoy the next day. It also makes it easier to keep your kitchen clean, as food is less likely to spill onto the stove.

Limit Nutrient Loss

The loss of vitamins like vitamin C or B vitamin thiamine can be caused by cooking food for a more extended period. Quickly stirring-frying vegetables can minimize these losses in a small amount of oil. The high heat used will cause some nutrient loss, but these will not be as severe as when you cook, bake, or roast vegetables.

Conclusion

The wok can be used in many ways. The wok can hold a lot of food, and its high sides allow you to stir quickly without worrying about food leaking. Because of its versatility and low price, the wok is the best investment I have made in my kitchen. While everyone knows the wok is essential for stir-fry preparation, many people don't know that there are other culinary uses.